Additional medical costs associated with ventilator-associated pneumonia in an intensive care unit in Japan

Abstract Background Additional health care costs associated with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) vary widely per country; none of which have been explored in Japan. Thus, we aimed to examine the economic and clinical effects of VAP in Japan. Methods This was a retrospective matched case-control study of 22 patients with VAP who were treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Yokohama Rosai Hospital between January 2012 and December 2018. Twenty-two matched controls were selected based on five variables (i.e., sex, age, diagnosis and surgical procedure, underlying disease with or without advanced malignant tumor, and best motor response). The additional health care costs incurred owing to VAP were calculated from the difference between the mean costs of VAP and control cases. Results VAP incurred an additional cost of approximately USD 34,884 per case. The length of hospitalization itself was the major factor contributing to additional medical costs, generating a difference of 9,824 USD. Discussion VAP not only worsens patient outcomes but also generates significant additional medical costs. Patients who had developed VAP required more medical resources such as the performance of a tracheostomy. Conclusions VAP incurs a higher mean total hospital medical cost. Thus, appropriate infection control strategies should be implemented.